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Travel Tips: Solo Travel

'You are travelling alone, sir?' asked the friendly student on the train, and the answer was both yes and no: I was a lone traveller, but I was going to Varanasi with two friends who were in the next compartment. This set me thinking about solo travel again.

The Pros of Travelling with Others

The Cons of Travelling with Others

Summary

There's no doubt that I've really enjoyed being a lone traveller; that said, I now travel with my wife and soulmate, and I love it. I sometimes wonder how people do it in groups, but then I find out that they think I was mad to go it alone. I suppose it's whatever makes you happy, but here's a handy summary to help you decide.

Pros of Solo Travel Cons of Solo Travel
You make the decisions, nobody else. Bliss! You take the blame, nobody else. Not so good.
It's easier to meet people: couples rarely get interrupted, but solo travellers always get into conversations You get lonely sometimes, when there's nobody around. It can be especially lonely in places where there are lots of travellers, but you're on your own.
If you get ill, you don't ruin someone else's plans, so there's no guilt trip. If you get ill, there's nobody to go out for medicine, bottled water and sympathy.
You can stay in the cheapest, nastiest hotels if you like... or the most expensive. Sharing costs brings them right down, especially in western countries.
You can discover fantastic sights all by yourself: the sense of achievement is amazing. All your self-portrait photos have to be self-timed or taken by locals who've never seen cameras before.
There's nobody to fall out with: travelling with someone is one of the biggest tests of a friendship or relationship, and it's hard going sometimes. There's nobody to share the good times with, and nobody to reminisce with when you're down the pub after the trip.
When you're up, the glory is all yours to enjoy. When you're down, there's nobody to help you back up again.
I like it. You might not.